Which statement about endosperm in dicots is correct?

• A. Most dicots are endospermous
• B. Castor is a dicot but has endosperm
• C. All dicots lack endosperm
• D. Endosperm is present in all dicots during seed development

Answer: (B)

Endosperm provides nutrients to the developing embryo, but in dicots its fate during seed maturation varies. In many dicot seeds, the endosperm is absorbed as the embryo grows and the two cotyledons store nutrients, so the mature seed is endosperm-free. Castor bean is a notable exception: as a dicot, it retains a substantial endosperm in the mature seed, which serves as the absorbing nutrient tissue for the embryo. That makes the statement about Castor being a dicot that has endosperm true. The other ideas aren’t accurate because they either claim endosperm is common in all dicots at maturity (which isn’t the case) or assert universality of endosperm during development (not all dicots retain it through seed development to maturity).